Top Video Marketing Distribution Trends Marketers Need to Know

Video marketing distribution as an industry is worth $135 billion, which is almost more than television advertising and digital advertising combined. It is clear marketers are buying in when it comes to creating video, but what video distribution techniques are they using to boost their brand’s visibility?

The Relationship Between Social Media and Video Marketing Distribution

Social media makes it easy to talk directly to your potential customers. This is why, according to a study by Magisto, companies are 50 percent more likely to choose organic social media as their top video distribution channel over paid advertising. Furthermore, video distributed through social media provides close to a 40 percent ROI. For comparison, the next-highest ROI is just under 20 percent, and it comes from email campaigns. Focus on building relationships and consistently engaging with your target customers to build a community around your brand. If done right, your community will consume and amplify your videos without you having to ask.

Social video’s effectiveness depends upon authenticity. Today’s tech-savvy buyer is tired of being fed blatant advertisements. You have to humanize your brand, and nothing is better at that than video. Like I’ve said in the past, today’s buyer puts the level of connection they feel with a brand over the function of the product when making a purchasing decision.

Videos are also a great way to help you close the sale. According to a survey by BrightLocal, 88 percent of shoppers watch product review videos before making a purchase, and they trust these reviews as much as they would a suggestion from a friend.

The Rise of Mobile Video

Social media platforms aren’t just video distribution channels. They are also video creation platforms. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn all have live video features. Engage your audience directly from your mobile phone—no fancy video equipment required. Social Media Today states users watch a live stream for three times as long as they watch a recorded video. Nothing is more authentic than a live video.

There is a direct link between the growth of video marketing, the development of live video features on social media platforms, and the rise of mobile video. Recode predicts mobile video views will increase by 25 percent in 2018, and ad spend will grow by $18 billion. Allocate some of your video marketing budget to growing your live video efforts on social media, and you’ll tap into the growing number of mobile viewers.

Measuring the Success of Video Marketing Distribution Campaigns

Just as with any other type of marketing, nothing matters more than metrics. How do you measure the success of your video distribution efforts?

The answer starts with your objective. Is your goal to spread brand awareness or acquire new customers? The top benefit of video marketing is it doesn’t force you to choose between the two. Before the rise of video, traditional advertising was for reach and digital advertising was for customer acquisition. Now, brands are using video marketing as a blanket solution for both objectives. Magisto found that 64 percent of marketers have brand awareness as their top objective for their video distribution efforts, while 58 percent have customer acquisition occupying the top spot.

Create videos that focus on brand awareness and customer acquisition. Here are some ideas:

Create a brand origin video that discusses your mission and include a CTA asking anyone who shares these values to join your email list.

Film product or service reviews with a CTA to make a purchase.

Hold live video Q&A sessions on social media and end each session with a CTA related to one of your offerings

The Future of Video Marketing Distribution

Social Media Today recently conducted a study on teenage internet use that showed teens spend an average of nine hours a day on social media. If you factor in eight hours of sleep, their eyes are glued to a screen more than half of their day—if you have a teen that might not surprise you. But we do need to be aware of this next generation. They love social video, especially from platforms like Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram. Savvy brands need to be ready for this new generation as they gain purchasing power. Developing a video distribution strategy now is just the place to start.

Eric Vidal, an industry expert with over 25 years of marketing and technology experience is passionate about providing insight and education on the latest martech trends and techniques. Eric speaks and writes for various publications like The Marketing Scope and Future Of Work to name a couple. He's also a Principal Analyst at Futurum Research where he follows and writes about marketing technology. Eric has been a marketing leader for companies of all sizes. He has extensive experience working to achieve measurable business results for organizations like IBM, Cisco, WebEx, Canon USA, West Corp., Dynamic Signal, adidas, SAP and more. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn.

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